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VISITOR INFORMATION

Opening Times

Dates	Times	Days
02 Jan - 12 Feb 2012	10:00 - 16:00 Last entry one hour before closing. The house may be closed if an event is booked. Entry to the gardens may also be restricted earlier than the usual one hour before closing time although access to the gardens for those who have already arrived will continue until normal closing time. Please call to check.	Closed Bank Holidays
13 Feb - 17 Feb 2012	10:00 - 16:00 Last entry one hour before closing. The house may be closed if an event is booked. Entry to the gardens may also be restricted earlier than the usual one hour before closing time although access to the gardens for those who have already arrived will continue until normal closing time. Please call to check.	Closed Bank Holidays
18 Feb - 31 Mar 2012	10:00 - 16:00 Last entry one hour before closing. The house may be closed if an event is booked. Entry to the gardens may also be restricted earlier than the usual one hour before closing time although access to the gardens for those who have already arrived will continue until normal closing time. Please call to check.	Closed Bank Holidays
01 Apr 2012 - 31 Mar 2013	0:00 - 0:00 Opening times information for this period will be available closer to the time. Please check again.	Open Bank Holidays

Prices

Member (join today): Free
Adult: £8.00
Child: £4.80
Concession: £7.20
Family Ticket: £20.80

This property also accepts overseas visitor passes

Directions

Address

Silsoe, Luton, Bedfordshire - MK45 4HR

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Sat Nav

Bus Access

Stagecoach in Northants S1 Bedford - Luton

Road Access

3⁄4 mile E of Silsoe off A6, 10 miles S of Bedford

Train Access

Flitwick 4 miles

Bicycle Access

Find this site on the National Cycle Network

Accommodation

Find a hotel near this property

Facilities Details

Toilets are located in the visitor centre, overflow car park and in the mansion

Disabled toilets are located in the visitor centre and in the mansion.

Food & Drink

A tea room serving a variety of meals, snacks and hot and cold drinks is situated in the walled garden. Indoor seating for over 70 people and outdoor seating for a further 50 is available for patrons of the tea room. Visitors wishing to picnic are welcome to do so in the Great Gardens.

It will be open from 10am until 1 hour before closing time. It is also open on Wednesdays, 10am - 5pm from August 1st until the 18th September 2011.

Shop

The gift shop is full of exciting new gift ranges from homeware to fashion accessories and jewellery, greetings cards to cuddly toys and books. There is also a new plant area, which amongst many other plants and exciting garden accessories, includes The Hairy Pot Plant Company. Their eco-friendly cottage garden plants and herbs grown in coir pots are all natural, organic and recyclable. The shop has full disabled access.

Parking

Plentiful free parking is available in the walled garden area. Please follow signs. There is also additional overflow parking if necessary. Disabled visitors may park in the disabled parking bays within the walled garden within close proximity to the visitor centre.

Access

Access to walled garden and visitor centre. Fully accessible on level surfaces.

Access to mansion via a platform lift adjacent to the main visitor entrance.

Access to grounds and garden buildings:

A limited number of mobility scooters are available - please pre-book on 01525 860152.

In addition for people with limited mobility, there is an 8 seater golf cart that will be circulating the gardens and will allow visitors to travel to the main attractions of the gardens. The vehicle can take wheelchairs.

Access to the grounds is mainly via smooth paths. There are steps or a steep slope to the Orangery and steep steps to the Pavilion. There is a ramp to access the Bowling Green House. Benches are provided throughout the grounds.

Visually Impaired Visitors

Transport around the gardens is available on a golf cart (seats eight people) at regular intervals. Many garden ornaments and sculptures may be touched. There are also many trees and wild flowers. A descriptive audio guide is available for visually impaired visitors.

Hearing Impaired Visitors

A transcript of the audio tour is available. Subtitles and captions are present on the audio visual displays in the exhibition.

Please be aware...

As part of the next phase of the Wrest Park Revival, archaeological investigation work will begin in the French Parterre at Wrest Park on 3rd October 2011. This will be used to inform the final restoration design of the Parterre, which will be completed by 1st April 2012. Until that date, works will be ongoing in this area.

Access to the walled garden is free on non-event days. The standard admission charge applies to this area on event days.

When we have a private event taking place, the State Rooms within the Mansion House will be out of bounds. However, the Countesses Sitting Room and Exhibition Rooms in the Mansion will still be open to visitors. The view to the Archer Pavilion from the terrace and staircase hallway will also be unavailable. The next private function will take place on Saturday 18th February 2012.

On Saturday 25th February there will be limited access to the Drawing Room due to some free screenings of the film 'The Gruffalo'.

Dogs on leads are allowed in most areas of the gardens. Dogs are not allowed in the children's play areas, inside the café or in the mansion unless guide dogs. Guide dogs are welcome throughout the site.